Bad girl

Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen.

They drove for a while, and Libia couldn't hardly look at him, in embarrassment for what she had said. She hadn't meant to say it, it just kind of blurted out. He didn't say anything either, but his smile was more than enough of an indicator that he'd heard and aknowledged what she said. 

When the car pulled to a stop, Libia looked out the window and couldn't help but let out a laugh.

"We're having a date in the park?" She asked, quirking a brow.

"Yeah, so?"

"So," She gestured to her coat, "It's cold out!"

"That's why you stick close to me, Baby, I'll warm you right up."

Her cheeks warmed at the name, and she narrowed her eyes at him, "So this is all just an elaborate plan to make me hug you?"

He laughed. "Not exactly. Now come on."

He shut the car off, unbuckling his seatbelt, and watching as she reluctantly did the same.

"What, you don't want to?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm warm right now. The prospect of cold doesn't exactly make me happy," She told him as she opened the door.

He let out a laugh that echoed down the street as he stepped out of the car, and she couldn't help the brief smile that pulled at her lips at the sound. She'd never heard him laugh or seen him smile as much as he had in the past few hours.

He met her at the sidewalk, pulling her in close to his side when she shivered. He pulled the hood of his jacket over her head, and she felt swallowed up, as she couldn't see past the piece of clothing in her eyes.

"You're too tall," She complained, "And built."

He laughed again as they walked into the park, his arm draped around her shoulders as she held onto his shirt with her sleeve-covered hand. 

"I'm going to take that as a compliment."

"It's not," She murmured, her voice soft and non-believable. Despite the cold, she was enjoying herself.

She, once again, marveled at the fact that no man had ever been this close to her. She could feel his pulse, even from her hand's position over his stomach, and his warmth seeped through the jacket she wore and into her body. No man had ever even come close to kissing her as he'd done so many times before. To holding her like he'd done in his bed. He'd said to her words that she'd never imagined any man would ever say. It didn't seem real. Perhaps she was dreaming. She peeked up from her hood to look at his face, and he was watching the sidewalk in front of him, shoulders relaxed, eyes soft and casual under his golden hair that she'd managed to mess up while playing with it, a small smile never leaving his chiseled face. How could she dream up something like that?

"Damon," She murmured after a moment, eyes staring at the ground that they walked. The moonlight managed to cast criss-crossing shadows over them from the sleeping trees. It was peaceful.

"Hm?" He asked, as if coming out of deep thought.

"I love you."

Under her hand, she felt his pulse stutter.

"You have no idea how good that sounds, coming from your lips."

She ducked her head, glad for the hood that covered her face, as it was most likely cherry red at that moment. 

"I'm not sure you should know," He continued on, oblivious to her shyness. "What would happen if you realized just how much power those words had over me? It might turn out as my parents said - you could influince me any way you choose...all you had to say was those words."